Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diverticulitis, Amanda Fantino

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Diverticular disease affects approximately 2.5 million people in the United states and it accounts for more than 280,000 hospitalizations per year (Mulligan, 2015). In 2004, the treatment cost for diverticular diseases was approximately 3.6 billion dollars, this is a huge expense for health care in this country (Schneider et al., 2015). “Diverticulosis is the presence of diverticula in the absence of inflammation” (Wilkins, Embry, & George, 2013). In the United States one study found that those with diverticulosis have a twenty-five percent chance of developing diverticulitis in their lifetime (Wilkins, Embry, & George, 2013). The number of patient in the …

Essential Hypertension, Melinda Rodriguez- Tercius

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hypertension effects 30% of the total population with incidences higher in socioeconomically deprived areas. This nurse will research the pathophysiology of essential hypertension to gain a thorough understanding of the disease and provide evidence based guidelines to assist the patient population in care and maintenance of hypertension. Control of this disease will decrease the incidence of complications that increase morbidity and mortality including cerebrovascular accidents and myocardial infarctions.

Hypertension is known to be the most common modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular related deaths in the United States (Fontil, Bibbins- Domingo, Nguyen, Guzman, & Goldman, 2017). Although hypertension is a largely …

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Jenna Trimmer

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

COPD is said to be unappreciated with half of COPD patients going undiagnosed or under treated. The research of this assignment will help to increase the APNs knowledge of the disease, its pathophysiology, presentation of symptoms, and disease management for better patient outcomes.

Acute Bronchospasm Under General Anesthesia, Cody Rasmussen

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

An acute bronchospasm during general anesthesia can become a life-threatening intraoperative condition for any patient. Bronchospasm occurs when the bronchial smooth muscle constricts which makes ventilating the patient difficult, and can ultimately lead to hypoventilation, hypoxemia, and metabolic acidosis. It’s imperative for any anesthesia provider to understand what a bronchospasm is, its pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and algorithm of treatments. This poster presentation provides a summary based discussion of acute bronchospasm under general anesthesia.

Copd: Emphysema, Nicole Nuxol

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States and is affecting more than 32 million Americans (Mosenifar, 2017). The prevalence of the disease continues to rise and many people are unaware they even have the disease. Prevention is essential in decreasing the incidence of the disease and Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) play a vital role. Emphysema is abnormal permanent enlargement of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, accompanied by the destruction of alveolar walls and without obvious fibrosis (Boka, 2016). Being able to understand the pathophysiology of emphysema will allow for providers …

Ards Pathophysiology, Kyle Kocher

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a very prevalent disease process in intensive care units around the world. It is estimated that the incidence of ARDS is 75 cases per 100,000 people in the United States (Balaan, Bihler, & Yadam, 2016). It is described as a refractory hypoxemia with pulmonary edema from a noncardiogenic cause (Balaan et al., 2016). The definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome itself has been debated and changed many times throughout the years. The most recently adopted definition of ARDS is the Berlin definition which uses several components to describe the disease. These components included timing …

The Pathophysiology Of Athlete's Heart, Hannah E. Mckee

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Athlete's heart is a condition resulting from high intensity exercise over a long period of time. Due to the increased workload of the body, the heart creates pathophysiologic changes to compensate for the increased demand. These changes are similar to those found in the diseased heart of a person with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is important to recognize athlete's heart and be able to differentiate between the pathophysiologic changes in athlete's heart and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Coronary Artery Disease, Matthew Jarboe

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a highly prevalent disease in the United States. CAD is a major burden for the U.S. health care system. CAD can causes heart failure, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction. Pathophysiology is important in CAD because its study has led to powerful intervention and will lead to better treatment recommendations from providers. There are modifiable risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus that should be controlled when possible. Lifestyle changes can also have a significant impact on the course of CAD.

Malignant Hyperthermia, Garrett Erickson

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Malignant hyperthermia is known as a pharmacogenetic disorder which manifests itself in the skeletal muscle (Heytens, Forget, Scholtès, & Veyckemans, 2015). When a susceptible patient, who carries the autosomal dominant trait, is exposed to volatile anesthetics and/or the neuromuscular blocker succinylcholine, a detrimental response can occur. This response is a hypermetabolic state with hypercapnia, hemodynamic instability, rigidity, hyperthermia, and signs of rhabdomyolysis (Heytens et al., 2015). MH is a rare condition with incidences between 1/5,000 and 1/50,000 (Nagelhout and Plaus, 2014, p. 829), and often occurs during the induction of anesthesia but can also occur intraoperatively or one hour post …

Primary Hypertension, Leslie Mcchesney

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The intent of this poster is to provide an understanding of the pathophysiology of primary hypertension and its impact on nursing. This is a disease affecting millions of Americans daily and with proper understanding of the disease process, diagnosis and management can be initiated early before life altering consequences impact the patient.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Madeleine Smith

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

My chosen research topic is systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), otherwise commonly known as lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects many different body systems, and has no cure. There are a plethora of symptoms associated with the disease, and symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Additionally, lupus can progress gradually and has periods of flares and remission like several other autoimmune diseases. All of these factors combined can make this disease very hard to diagnose, and therefore treat. By researching and learning more about lupus, I strive to gain a better understanding of this disease and its …

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd), Kaitlyn Newkirk

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a commonly diagnosed disease process, affecting nearly 20% of the population. GERD can greatly hinder one’s quality of life. “Routine” surgical procedures can become potentially life threatening to those affected by this disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal malignancy. The advance practice nurse is responsible for accurately diagnosing a patient with GERD to avoid these potentially fatal consequences. The APN must recognize and acknowledge risk factors for GERD, assisting the patient in altering modifiable risk factors. Treatment options must be individualized to each patient and may include solely medical management or …

The Pathophysiological Process Of Sepsis, Stefane Adams

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Sepsis is a medical emergency and can be a life-threatening illness that results as a complication from a severe infection, which occurs when chemicals that have been released into the bloodstream by the body’s defense system work to fight off an infection (Mayo Clinic, 2016). Sepsis is one of the leading causes of deaths in patients in the hospital setting worldwide, becoming more common than breast and bowel cancer combined (Nursing Times, 2014). Sepsis can affect anyone; however it is more common in the elderly or in individuals with weaker immune systems. Health care providers (HCPs) must fully understand this …

Clostridium Difficile, Ryan Osborn

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Clostridium Difficile infection (CDI) is an antibiotic resistant bacterium that is widely recognized and currently noted to be the "most common and costly healthcare associated infection in the United States" (Abt, McKenney & Pamer, 2016). The topic of CDI is important to discuss, as this infection can attack all patient populations especially those following antibiotic treatment. A disruption in a person's intestinal microbiota is known to place them at higher risk for CDI (Abt, McKenney & Pamer, 2016). Becoming infected with this bacterium leads to symptoms of diarrhea, bloating, belly pain, and occasionally fevers. The growing prevalence, antibiotic resistance associated …

Congestive Heart Failure (Chf), Kari Vance

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Heart failure affects almost six million Americans and is the leading cause of hospitalizations for patients older than 65 years, requiring more hospitalization than any type of cancer. Heart failure affects roughly two percent of the American population, and continues to be the most rapidly growing cardiac disease in the country (Parikh & Kadowitz, 2013). As stated, since this topic is of growing concern, and as our population ages, healthcare will continue to experience more patients experiencing heart failure as a condition. As clinicians manage patients with this condition, they will also have to consider the numerous other health factors …

Infective Endocarditis, Christine Hein

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe inflammatory disease of the endocardium, affecting valve structure and function. IE occurs when endothelial lining of the heart is damaged by direct trauma or scarring. Platelets and fibrin develop on the damaged endothelium, forming a thrombus. Thrombus formation makes it susceptible for circulating microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae to colonize (Thornton, 2000). The vegetation enlarges due to recurrent fibrin deposition and microbial multiplication (Sandoe, Watkin, & Elliott, 2013). Patients with IE often present with a high fever, new-onset cardiac murmur, and peripheral emboli causing a rash to the extremities. Complaints may …